Mastering 4 Core Eating Behaviors to Stay Slim Forever

Very nicely done book. It provides a knowledgeable but primarily supportive voice to implant in your head to help you through the considerable hurdles involved in modifying long-held attitudes. Much of the information provided is confirmation, not revelation. But the tone of the book and the pragmatic guidance is firm but gentle. It's helping a lot.

Life changing. Not just for weight loss, but also for healing years or disordered eating habits. This book has given me a 'normal', it's given me a life free of the chains I once associated with food and dieting. This book has improved my quality of life, and given my family a healthier way to live.

Finally someone going after the issue of long term adherence. Georgie flat out gets it! Yes, she's very intelligent but she isn't above anyone. She listens to her clients and makes the habits very sizable and realistic for each individual. This book is very refreshing and gives me hope this industry is slowing moving in the right direction. No more 5-10-17-21, _______ insert number day diets. They are all short term solutions and a book like this gets to the root of the issue.

Very easy read, sensible solutions and Georgie is one of the most selfless people out there. She makes herself accessible to help or answer questions. She might be a super hero I'm not sure yet! GO GET THIS BOOK PEOPLE!

This is a great method that allows to be conscious of one's eating habits and behaviours. It also allows to identify the things that keep you from looking weight. It can be used alone or with another dieting method.

My nutritionist recommended this book, as it aligns with how she works with her clients. I was on the crazy diet train for so long, and I'm glad to finally be off! It's taking time for me to make each of these a habit, but it is worth the work and investment in myself. Thanks for a great book!

Finally a book that makes sense to anyone who struggles a lot or a little,with weight control and more importantly how to eat well,and with less stress and worry. Georgie's practical, step by step approach leaves you feeling positive and worthy. A must have... Throw the rest out.

The keyword here is "lifelong". This book is truly the best book available for mastering lifelong weight management. Georgie Fear has given us all a gift by writing Lean Habits for Lifelong Weight Loss. This is not a diet book. It is a book that is simple to read, evidence based, focusing on one-habit at time. You will find Georgie's "What to do" and "Why it is worth it" explanations bringing you "aha" moments that will motivate you. I refer to this book often. I recommend it to all my clients. It is brilliant.

I am currently working my way through this book, as well as using the facebook community which provides amazing free support. Over the past few months, I feel like the concepts in this book have finally freed me from the endless "on the diet/off the diet" mentality. To change the way I think after many years of "counting calories" (unsuccessfully!) is no small feat. I highly recommend this book without reservation.

This is an awesome book! Georgie has helped me establish habits that have already made a huge difference in my life. Every week, I write a list of the habits for each day and I cross them off once they've been completed. I'm a list maker, so I LOVE crossing things off the list! At first I would forget a few here and there, but now the habits are a part of my routine and I couldn't imagine going through the day without them!

Georgie Fear is cooler than the other side of the pillow. This book is such an epic resource for anyone looking to lose fat and improve the way the eat. Its an easy read. Its even easier to implement. I'm a strength & conditioning specialist and I recommend this as a resource to all my weight loss clients. Do yourself and your mirror a favor and click buy right meow.

Love this book!!!! So much good advice. I need to lose about 40lbs which is daunting, but Georgie makes me feel like I can do it. One step at a time, one habit at a time. A calm, intelligent harbor in a sea of diet madness.

What an incredibly refreshing book, backed by legitimate science, that has taught me how to have a healthy relationship with food. This book taught me how to listen to my body's ques and not succumb to the pressures of a diet. It changed my life. Thank you Georgie Fear for giving me my life back.

Highly recommended for anyone wanting to develop better habits! I thought in had good habits until I read this! This book is one of the best nutrition/lean eating books I have read in a long time. Anything written by Georgie is awesome!

Totally easy to understand and like goergie says its not a diet book its more about guidance and learn more about yourself and what do you want to so about it.step by step approach and have a lot of real life example situation so its make us easier to understand and feel that we are not alone

This isn't your typical weight loss book. Chandra Crawford starts out telling us about her powerful current of negative emotion that caused bulimia for a year and destroyed her body's ability to perform as a ski racer. Georgie Fear, her Coach, informed her that if eating behaviors were in response to emotion, that attempting to solve them with an emotional response wouldn't work either. Georgie then guided her back to health with easy to understand psychology and physiology as well as great anecdotes from her decades of coaching and nutritional experience. As they say, the rest is history for Ms. Crawford, Olympic Ski champion.

This author's approach is different from most diet books I have read and I find it refreshing that I will be changing one habit at a time until it becomes my new habit in approximately 14 days, but if more time is needed you provide it for yourself. The first four habits are the core habits which REALLY must become an honest and true habit. Then the remaining twelve habits are the supporting habits for a total of sixteen and troubleshooting I numbered seventeen, although it can be used anytime. Keep in mind the titles are fully explained in the chapters as you proceed after each habit truly becomes your habit.

1. Eat 3 or 4 meals per day without snacking.
2. Master your hunger.
3. Eating just enough.
4. Eat mostly whole foods.
5. Eat lots of vegetables.
6. Minimize liquid calories.
7. Boost satiety with protein.
8. Eat the right amount of fat.
9. Meet your carbohydrate needs wisely.
10. Adapt your carbohydrate strategy for your exercise goals.
11. Be 100 percent aware of the treats you eat.
12. Manage treats with an eye on your goals.
13. Shape your social and physical environment.
14. Conquer emotional eating.
15. Hydration power.
16. Get enough sleep.
17. Troubleshooting.

This diet is really a journey of retraining yourself and therefore is not a quick fix, but truly a lifestyle change. All that stick with this program will be amazed and rewarded with improved health and set a positive example for friends and family to emulate. I wish you success on this valuable journey.

I wanted to love everything there is about this plan. I was in coaching twice. Ordered various books of hers and made the best effort I could given that there was still real life to deal with. They kept saying "the diet is failing you" not that "I'm failing the diet". But I tell you what... I put on 15 pounds trying to master this program and the ever mysterious eating just enough (and other amorphous habits). I know Georgie believes whole-heartedly in her plan, but I had to join Weight Watchers to lose the extra 15 plus the 10 I originally wanted to lose. For me, the plan/habits are for people that have already been into weight training and have been on all the food plans that are common with that community (e.g. Body for Life). For me, all that protein made me nauseous and I was just told I had to keep working on the protein for satiety. Plus, I had to prepare two evening meals every night, one for me and one for the rest of my family (lunches and breakfast supplies too, but that's more as-you-can-grab-it at our house). For me, this isn't practical in the real world. I know weight watchers is considered the "dark side", but at least I got my weight off and I can eat what I prepare for everyone else. I still incorporate many of the emotional eating tools learned from this, but getting the weight off? I don't know... I wasn't willing to wait a year or more for it to come off. I probably would have packed on even more by then. I am not a body builder. I simply don't have the time. I get in what exercise I can and I'm sure that's also not viewed as being on the "dark side" in this community. I just don't think it's a fit for real people that are barely getting enough sleep every night. I do not spend my time watching TV, playing video games or other activities that might be viewed as replaceable with workout time. I'm just trying to keep up with regular required activities like working, paying the bills, household chores, keeping the kids directed in their activities, and keeping everyone fed. WW online and on my phone did more for me in a month, than this did in a year. I know it sounds really appealing to not have to "diet", but I simply need some guide to teach me how much food is enough. WW DOES encourage you to listen to be aware of your hunger levels. I try to pay attention for each meal. But it has been made obvious to me that if left to my own devices, I will eat too much. It's that simple.

After swearing off diets a while ago because frankly, after years of: Weight Watchers; Paleo; Dukan; Metabolic Effect; straight-up calorie counting, measuring, portioning on MFP; food journalling; and a few other things as well--I just felt lost. I felt lost because: 1. None of those diets ever took me to where I wanted to go, even though I definitely put in the work, 2. They were stressful and I was just over it, having a very busy life with full job and kids, and 3. I still had weight I wanted to lose, and I just didn't know how anymore. I even dabbled in some "Intuitive Eating" methods, and though they were a welcome step back from the stress of restrictive eating, they still didn't take to my goal of wanting to feel great in my body.

So, enter Georgie and her book, which I found after doing some lurking on the excellent Happy Eaters forum. I've had the book Lean Habits now for about four months, and have been using its principles since that time. The first time I read the book I felt this major sense of excitement and hope. Finally, someone who understood. And not just understood, but also provided a very clear path to follow to get the results I have been wanting for so long. Georgie presents the ideas in the book with clarity, compassion, and a matter-of-fact attitude that just makes so much sense. It is such a relief to get grounded in a methodology towards safe and sane weight loss again. And weight loss that lasts.

Another thing I appreciate about Georgie's approach, unlike a lot of "intuitive eating" and "making peace with food" approaches is that it's still OKAY to want to lose weight. You can still love and honour your body and not feel ashamed that you still want to drop weight so you can fit into a sexy swimsuit.

The book itself stands alone--excellently--as its own product. But what I found incredible about it is that there a Lean Habits Facebook forum that you can join, to discuss the whole journey with others reading the book, as well as Georgie herself. This is invaluable because those the habits are SIMPLE, they are not easy. And having support from others is amazing. I honestly can't believe they are offering this service for free. They put a lot of time in there. The community is ever-growing, too. Is it drama-free? No, it isn't, unfortunately--but I know Georgie (and her husband, Roland) put in a lot of time to moderate it and keep it focused on the end goal for everyone--using the Lean Habits to find peace with food and have success in weight loss. And not just success in weight loss, but in a way that works--for life. There are a lot of sometimes strong opinions in there, but, seeing as it's about weight loss and eating, there is probably no way to keep that more "chill." After all, this is stuff that people care deeply about. But for the most part, the community is both incredibly insightful and supportive on your weight loss goals and challenges.

So now for the most important question, which is always the question I search for when reading reviews on weight loss books:Have I actually lost weight following these methods yet? In truth? No. BUT that answer deserves some explanation, because that is not the fault of the book. If you follow the principles in the book and master the habits, you will lose weight. The truth is, is that the 4 core habits you master first--are all about the HOW of eating, and not the WHAT. Naturally most diets are on the WHAT (i.e. eat only chicken breasts and broccoli). Those kinds of changes are easy because they're basically superficial. For a time. You're not actually rewiring your approach to food and eating for life. Then, as we all know, after doing enough diets--you'll crack, "fall off the wagon", and boom, diet is over and you gain back the weight. So changing the HOW of eating first (there are later habits that address the WHAT)--well, that is not an instant weight loss trick. Especially for someone like me, who has way too much mental baggage about the whole kit and kaboodle of it. Because you need to "master" a habit before you move on, I have taken a very long time to master the early habits. I am basically undoing years--if not close to lifetime--of harmful habits around food and eating. It's a slow re-wiring process, and yes, sometimes it is hard to feel patient.

So why have I stuck with it, even though my "end-game" is still weight loss? Well, frankly, because the short-term diet fixes absolutely do not work for me. I have learned that again and again. And because I am making many improvements, regularly, on my eating. Biggest shift of the past 4 months? I've stopped binge eating. Do you have any idea how HUGE that is for me? That change alone makes me believe deeply in this book. My whole attitude and presence around food has changed completely.

And truthfully I feel ready to take the next step and really start working on the "what" of eating so I can start reducing my amounts of food and therefore start losing weight. I feel ready for it, and I'm excited to know that I have really changed so much already. But I will absolutely update this post in later months to report if I have had successful weight loss as well.

Thank you Georgie, for being not only a wonderful author but also just a very caring and insightful supporter of our weight-loss goals. Your work is important and is changing lives for the better.

This book is changing my life! I've been overweight my whole life and have struggled with losing and then gaining weight especially now that I'm in my 50's. In August I weighed my heaviest and doubled down my efforts at weight watchers - determined to lose some weight, but no matter how much I followed that program, nothing I did seemed to make the scale change. I was so frustrated after 3 months of depriving myself only to still be my heaviest weight. My daughter gave me this book and I am AMAZED at what's happening to my body. I lost 3 pounds in December, all while enjoying holiday parties and foods. The first habit was very contrary to everything I had ever been told about weight control. I was to stop snacking! I believe that made the most difference in my life. Instead of weighing and measuring my foods and constantly leaving the table hungry and unsatisfied, I ate a normal portion of food and said 'thats it till the next meal.' I kept adding more habits - one at a time - and I'm finding that I can eat like a normal person - 2% milk, avocados, sushi - and still lose weight. I no longer eat 'diet food' but instead eat wholesome and delicious food that causes me to be satisfied and feel great.

This is the most reasonable habit change for leanness book I've seen/read in a while. The habits are definitely do-able including eating 3-4 meals a day after you've experienced 30-60 minutes of hunger, eating mostly whole foods, stopping when you have had enough, supported by other good habits like staying hydrated, eating a balanced amount of protein, fat, and carbs, getting enough sleep, etc. I'd actually call this a healthy habits for living book to be entirely accurate. If you want to change your life to be more healthy, following the advice in this book is a great place to start.

I read a lot about nutrition and fitness and wasn’t expecting to find such a wel-written, well-researched book with advice based on the latest research in this relatively slim book. For someone who only wants to read one book on the topic, this would make a fine choice.
An overview of the contents:

Introduction – experiential satisfaction; appetite satisfaction; hunger & satiety; how your gut signals get to your brain; hormones (this section is excellent); scaling a habit; accountability & habit tracking; practice, not perfection

Lean Habit 1: Eat 3 or 4 Meals Per Day Without Snacking – eating many small meals tends to result in people eating enough to maintain their weight, not lose it; eating 3 or 4 meals can “reset” your hunger & fullness cues and lead to a metabolic shift to burning more fat & less carbs

Lean Habit 2: Master Your Hunger – feeling appropriately hungry indicates that you are eating the right amount; “procrastineating” & “eatertainment”
Lean Habit 3: Eating Just Enough – mindful eating helps you stop eating before you eat too much; dealing with situations that encourage overeating; what to do when you do overeat

Lean Habit 4: Eat Mostly Whole Food

Lean Habit 5: Eat Vegetables, And Lots Of Them – info on fruit too

Lean Habit 6: Minimize Liquid Calories – cutting calories from liquids reduces caloric intake more than cutting calories from solid food; coffee

Lean Habit 7: Boost Satiety With Protein – dairy, meat, eggs, legumes

Lean Habit 8: Eat The Right Amount Of Fat – people who eat a moderate amount of fat tend to lose more weight and maintain their lower weight better than people on a low fat diet

Lean Habit 9: Meet Your Carbohydrate Needs Wisely – individualizing carb intake; starchy foods; excess carbs & metabolic disease; carb types matter

Lean Habit 10: Adapt Your Carbohydrate Strategy For Your Exercise Goals – performance & recovery; fat loss; eating right after exercise

Lean Habit 11: Be 100 Percent Aware Of The Treats You Eat

Lean Habit 12: Manage Treats With An Eye On Your Goals – is it worth it?; modify size & frequency; find other resources for relaxation

Lean Habit 13: Shape Your Social And Physical Environment – explain the way first, then the why; food pushers

Lean Habit 14: Conquer Emotional Eating – inability to separate hunger & emotion; emotional suppression; other factors; learn to reappraise rather than suppress; strengthen distress tolerance; flexible dietary restraint

Lean Habit 15: Hydration Power

Lean Habit 16: Get Enough Sleep – lack of sleep makes you hungrier; how to get a good night’s sleep

Troubleshooting – I’m doing all the habits but the scale isn’t moving; I started slipping as I added more habits; I modified the habits & it isn’t working; why can’t I be consistent?; trying to form habits while counting calories; excuses

Whether you are looking to achieve and maintain fitness, or just lose weight, this is an excellent, concise guide. Highly recommended!

The toughest challenge that dieters face is remaining consistent over time. Adding to the problem is the existing abundance of nutritional guidelines and diets that can easily leave you lost in confusion. Should I only eat six meals a day? Should I go on a low carb diet? What about that Paleo thing which all the cool kids are doing? If you have found yourself asking similar questions then Georgie's Fear's new book "Lean Habits For Lifelong Weight Loss" is exactly what you've been waiting for.

The registered dietitian, nutrition expert, and physique coach shows us the importance of having a relationship with our food and how restrictive fad diets simply don't work. By introducing and explaining why a habit based approach to weight loss is the key to finally getting and STAYING lean, Georgie makes it possible for anyone who has experienced unsuccessful dieting to finally find relief.

What really stood out about this book is its ease of navigation. Each habit is separated into its own chapter which allows Georgie to place a close eye on its mechanics while providing evidence based findings on why each one will be beneficial to your goals as well as informing us on how we can implement the habit into our daily lives. There are a total of sixteen habits ranging from methods of controlling your hunger, understanding the importance of consuming the right amount of fat and carbohydrates and even how psychology plays a vital role in wiser eating habits. Also, while I am an advocate of counting calories and macronutrients, I do understand that this is not for everyone. With that being said, Georgie shares simple methods of consuming food that will allow you to notice a drop on the scale without having to keep track of your daily food intake.

In short, diets come and go. Good habits on the other hand last a lifetime. So if you want to make great strides in your life that will affect both the way you look and feel then I highly recommend picking up this book.

Much of what contributes to overweight in this country is the availability of all sorts of tempting food. It is so easy to nibble on tasty snacks anytime of the day, not realizing how many calories are involved. The only way to reverse this is to change eating habits. I had started a similar program of my own before there was a major family crisis, so now this makes sense for me to resume. Obviously, there has not been enough time to find out how this is working, but I am sure it will help. If I have any criticism of this book, it would be for wordiness. She makes a point, and then goes on for several pages to explain it. Ok, I got it, move along. I may not be able to eat two cups of vegetables for breakfast, but I do think this book will guide me to change habits and achieve weight loss.

After swearing off diets a while ago because frankly, after years of: Weight Watchers; Paleo; Dukan; Metabolic Effect; straight-up calorie counting, measuring, portioning on MFP; food journalling; and a few other things as well--I just felt lost. I felt lost because: 1. None of those diets ever took me to where I wanted to go, even though I definitely put in the work, 2. They were stressful and I was just over it, having a very busy life with full job and kids, and 3. I still had weight I wanted to lose, and I just didn't know how anymore. I even dabbled in some "Intuitive Eating" methods, and though they were a welcome step back from the stress of restrictive eating, they still didn't take to my goal of wanting to feel great in my body.

So, enter Georgie and her book, which I found after doing some lurking on the excellent Happy Eaters forum. I've had the book Lean Habits now for about four months, and have been using its principles since that time. The first time I read the book I felt this major sense of excitement and hope. Finally, someone who understood. And not just understood, but also provided a very clear path to follow to get the results I have been wanting for so long. Georgie presents the ideas in the book with clarity, compassion, and a matter-of-fact attitude that just makes so much sense. It is such a relief to get grounded in a methodology towards safe and sane weight loss again. And weight loss that lasts.

Another thing I appreciate about Georgie's approach, unlike a lot of "intuitive eating" and "making peace with food" approaches is that it's still OKAY to want to lose weight. You can still love and honour your body and not feel ashamed that you still want to drop weight so you can fit into a sexy swimsuit.

The book itself stands alone--excellently--as its own product. But what I found incredible about it is that there a Lean Habits Facebook forum that you can join, to discuss the whole journey with others reading the book, as well as Georgie herself. This is invaluable because those the habits are SIMPLE, they are not easy. And having support from others is amazing. I honestly can't believe they are offering this service for free. They put a lot of time in there. The community is ever-growing, too. Is it drama-free? No, it isn't, unfortunately--but I know Georgie (and her husband, Roland) put in a lot of time to moderate it and keep it focused on the end goal for everyone--using the Lean Habits to find peace with food and have success in weight loss. And not just success in weight loss, but in a way that works--for life. There are a lot of sometimes strong opinions in there, but, seeing as it's about weight loss and eating, there is probably no way to keep that more "chill." After all, this is stuff that people care deeply about. But for the most part, the community is both incredibly insightful and supportive on your weight loss goals and challenges.

So now for the most important question, which is always the question I search for when reading reviews on weight loss books:Have I actually lost weight following these methods yet? In truth? No. BUT that answer deserves some explanation, because that is not the fault of the book. If you follow the principles in the book and master the habits, you will lose weight. The truth is, is that the 4 core habits you master first--are all about the HOW of eating, and not the WHAT. Naturally most diets are on the WHAT (i.e. eat only chicken breasts and broccoli). Those kinds of changes are easy because they're basically superficial. For a time. You're not actually rewiring your approach to food and eating for life. Then, as we all know, after doing enough diets--you'll crack, "fall off the wagon", and boom, diet is over and you gain back the weight. So changing the HOW of eating first (there are later habits that address the WHAT)--well, that is not an instant weight loss trick. Especially for someone like me, who has way too much mental baggage about the whole kit and kaboodle of it. Because you need to "master" a habit before you move on, I have taken a very long time to master the early habits. I am basically undoing years--if not close to lifetime--of harmful habits around food and eating. It's a slow re-wiring process, and yes, sometimes it is hard to feel patient.

So why have I stuck with it, even though my "end-game" is still weight loss? Well, frankly, because the short-term diet fixes absolutely do not work for me. I have learned that again and again. And because I am making many improvements, regularly, on my eating. Biggest shift of the past 4 months? I've stopped binge eating. Do you have any idea how HUGE that is for me? That change alone makes me believe deeply in this book. My whole attitude and presence around food has changed completely.

And truthfully I feel ready to take the next step and really start working on the "what" of eating so I can start reducing my amounts of food and therefore start losing weight. I feel ready for it, and I'm excited to know that I have really changed so much already. But I will absolutely update this post in later months to report if I have had successful weight loss as well.

Thank you Georgie, for being not only a wonderful author but also just a very caring and insightful supporter of our weight-loss goals. Your work is important and is changing lives for the better.

This book is changing my life! I've been overweight my whole life and have struggled with losing and then gaining weight especially now that I'm in my 50's. In August I weighed my heaviest and doubled down my efforts at weight watchers - determined to lose some weight, but no matter how much I followed that program, nothing I did seemed to make the scale change. I was so frustrated after 3 months of depriving myself only to still be my heaviest weight. My daughter gave me this book and I am AMAZED at what's happening to my body. I lost 3 pounds in December, all while enjoying holiday parties and foods. The first habit was very contrary to everything I had ever been told about weight control. I was to stop snacking! I believe that made the most difference in my life. Instead of weighing and measuring my foods and constantly leaving the table hungry and unsatisfied, I ate a normal portion of food and said 'thats it till the next meal.' I kept adding more habits - one at a time - and I'm finding that I can eat like a normal person - 2% milk, avocados, sushi - and still lose weight. I no longer eat 'diet food' but instead eat wholesome and delicious food that causes me to be satisfied and feel great.

This is the most reasonable habit change for leanness book I've seen/read in a while. The habits are definitely do-able including eating 3-4 meals a day after you've experienced 30-60 minutes of hunger, eating mostly whole foods, stopping when you have had enough, supported by other good habits like staying hydrated, eating a balanced amount of protein, fat, and carbs, getting enough sleep, etc. I'd actually call this a healthy habits for living book to be entirely accurate. If you want to change your life to be more healthy, following the advice in this book is a great place to start.

I read a lot about nutrition and fitness and wasn’t expecting to find such a wel-written, well-researched book with advice based on the latest research in this relatively slim book. For someone who only wants to read one book on the topic, this would make a fine choice.
An overview of the contents:

Introduction – experiential satisfaction; appetite satisfaction; hunger & satiety; how your gut signals get to your brain; hormones (this section is excellent); scaling a habit; accountability & habit tracking; practice, not perfection

Lean Habit 1: Eat 3 or 4 Meals Per Day Without Snacking – eating many small meals tends to result in people eating enough to maintain their weight, not lose it; eating 3 or 4 meals can “reset” your hunger & fullness cues and lead to a metabolic shift to burning more fat & less carbs

Lean Habit 2: Master Your Hunger – feeling appropriately hungry indicates that you are eating the right amount; “procrastineating” & “eatertainment”
Lean Habit 3: Eating Just Enough – mindful eating helps you stop eating before you eat too much; dealing with situations that encourage overeating; what to do when you do overeat

Lean Habit 4: Eat Mostly Whole Food

Lean Habit 5: Eat Vegetables, And Lots Of Them – info on fruit too

Lean Habit 6: Minimize Liquid Calories – cutting calories from liquids reduces caloric intake more than cutting calories from solid food; coffee

Lean Habit 7: Boost Satiety With Protein – dairy, meat, eggs, legumes

Lean Habit 8: Eat The Right Amount Of Fat – people who eat a moderate amount of fat tend to lose more weight and maintain their lower weight better than people on a low fat diet

Lean Habit 9: Meet Your Carbohydrate Needs Wisely – individualizing carb intake; starchy foods; excess carbs & metabolic disease; carb types matter

Lean Habit 10: Adapt Your Carbohydrate Strategy For Your Exercise Goals – performance & recovery; fat loss; eating right after exercise

Lean Habit 11: Be 100 Percent Aware Of The Treats You Eat

Lean Habit 12: Manage Treats With An Eye On Your Goals – is it worth it?; modify size & frequency; find other resources for relaxation

Lean Habit 13: Shape Your Social And Physical Environment – explain the way first, then the why; food pushers

Lean Habit 14: Conquer Emotional Eating – inability to separate hunger & emotion; emotional suppression; other factors; learn to reappraise rather than suppress; strengthen distress tolerance; flexible dietary restraint

Lean Habit 15: Hydration Power

Lean Habit 16: Get Enough Sleep – lack of sleep makes you hungrier; how to get a good night’s sleep

Troubleshooting – I’m doing all the habits but the scale isn’t moving; I started slipping as I added more habits; I modified the habits & it isn’t working; why can’t I be consistent?; trying to form habits while counting calories; excuses

Whether you are looking to achieve and maintain fitness, or just lose weight, this is an excellent, concise guide. Highly recommended!

The toughest challenge that dieters face is remaining consistent over time. Adding to the problem is the existing abundance of nutritional guidelines and diets that can easily leave you lost in confusion. Should I only eat six meals a day? Should I go on a low carb diet? What about that Paleo thing which all the cool kids are doing? If you have found yourself asking similar questions then Georgie's Fear's new book "Lean Habits For Lifelong Weight Loss" is exactly what you've been waiting for.

The registered dietitian, nutrition expert, and physique coach shows us the importance of having a relationship with our food and how restrictive fad diets simply don't work. By introducing and explaining why a habit based approach to weight loss is the key to finally getting and STAYING lean, Georgie makes it possible for anyone who has experienced unsuccessful dieting to finally find relief.

What really stood out about this book is its ease of navigation. Each habit is separated into its own chapter which allows Georgie to place a close eye on its mechanics while providing evidence based findings on why each one will be beneficial to your goals as well as informing us on how we can implement the habit into our daily lives. There are a total of sixteen habits ranging from methods of controlling your hunger, understanding the importance of consuming the right amount of fat and carbohydrates and even how psychology plays a vital role in wiser eating habits. Also, while I am an advocate of counting calories and macronutrients, I do understand that this is not for everyone. With that being said, Georgie shares simple methods of consuming food that will allow you to notice a drop on the scale without having to keep track of your daily food intake.

In short, diets come and go. Good habits on the other hand last a lifetime. So if you want to make great strides in your life that will affect both the way you look and feel then I highly recommend picking up this book.

Much of what contributes to overweight in this country is the availability of all sorts of tempting food. It is so easy to nibble on tasty snacks anytime of the day, not realizing how many calories are involved. The only way to reverse this is to change eating habits. I had started a similar program of my own before there was a major family crisis, so now this makes sense for me to resume. Obviously, there has not been enough time to find out how this is working, but I am sure it will help. If I have any criticism of this book, it would be for wordiness. She makes a point, and then goes on for several pages to explain it. Ok, I got it, move along. I may not be able to eat two cups of vegetables for breakfast, but I do think this book will guide me to change habits and achieve weight loss.

Lean Habits For Lifelong Weight Loss by Georgie Fear. The author is a registered dietitian and professional nutritional coach. She presents her research for success—4 core eating behaviors to stay slim forever. She understands that slow and steady wins the race and she suggests just how to go about changing eating behaviors, yet following a nutritious diet. Georgie has helped many and her book is filled with testimonials. There is also a troubleshooting chapter—for all those little things that can happen to throw off the most motivated follower. She is upbeat, nonjudgmental, and always encouraging. There is a list of resources and an index. Seems like a very common-sense approach, I shall try it.

Making a HUGE lifestyle change overnight is very hard, and a big reason why most diets fail. By starting the reader off with one small, simple step, and then giving them time to get in the swing of it before introducing the next habit, Georgie gets the reader to keep moving in the right direction without ever being overwhelmed. Baby steps vs one giant leap!

Georgie's book is well researched, well written, and easy to understand. Lean Habits gives readers a habit-by-habit plan that's sure to make them keep going rather than giving up.

I got a review copy of this book before it was released, and I've been recommending it ever since!

Georgie Fear knows that you really want to lose weight and she also knows that most of us yo-yo, stagnate, or fail in trying. It's not that we don't have a plan, it's that we diet and never develop the proper habits of a healthy lifestyle. In Lean Habits for Lifelong Weight Loss, Fear describes those habits in detail.

Fear is a clear thinker and clear writer. The book is incredibly well organized and gets right to the point. Although you have heard most of this advice somewhere, piecemeal on the web, in fitness magazines, or in weight loss infomercials, Fear has done one of the best jobs of putting together a book that gives her reader a roadmap and goals. Better yet, she doesn't pitch you products, added services, or even her own website along the way. The book is a self contained, self-help manual.

If you want to get an idea of whether this book is for you, simply review the table of contents. I won't reiterate all of them here, but the first four chapters describe the core habits: 1) Eat 3 or 4 meals per day without snacking; 2) Master your own hunger; 3) Eating just enough; and, 4) Eat mostly whole foods. The subsequent 12 chapters add supporting habits and a final chapter sums it all up with a discussion of troubleshooting. Each core habit is expected to take approximately one week to master. Once mastered, you move on to work on the next habit.

This is a book that is deeply vested in a behavioral model. Fear presents a non-diet diet, that concentrates on changing your life's approach to eating rather than telling you exactly what you should eat. If you like a diet that gives you an exact calorie count, nutrient ratios, and foods-you-absolutely-must-avoid, this is the wrong book for you. The road map here is developing a healthy way of approaching food and a healthy way of eating.

There is something refreshing about this. For example, the first core habit: Eat 3 or 4 meals per day without snacking. Many popular diets seem to look at hunger as a thing to avoid. They suggest must-eat foods that are supposed to prevent hunger pangs or prescribe a grazing pattern of eating that spreads your calories over the course of the day in multiple, small meals. I have to agree with Fear here: any diet that promises weight loss without hunger is destined to disappoint. You may have your own trigger foods that give you that bottomless-pit feeling that you just have to eat more and there may be foods that satisfy you more. But hunger is always there and I have to agree with Fear. It's hunger is not your nemesis. Contrary to fad diets, Fear accepts hunger as a natural tendency and actually views it as a necessary component of healthy eating: if you eat when you are hungry, you have a chance to be satisfied. She sites studies that show that eating 3 or 4 times a day--with some hunger before meals--actually promotes weight loss.

And so it goes for the other habits. Fear builds her book in a stepwise progression, discussing the habits you will adopt, briefly reviewing the science, convincing you with case histories from her own clients, and giving advice and encouragement along the way. There are those who will read this book and shrug it off as a compilation of diet advice that you can easily find on the web or in the magazines at the checkout counter in the grocery store (you know, the ones next to the candy bars that promote a new, breakthrough diet and also have the latest recipe for the-best-chocolate-cake-you-ever-tasted-I-mean-ever). There is truth to this. You've heard this kind of advice before from a variety of sources, including your mother. What you get here, though, is a thorough going over of how to incorporate these habits into your life so that they make a difference.

Nevertheless, if you are like me you will be still wondering what type of diet Fear is really promoting. She never states this in one place in the book, but going by her advice based on the 1,350 to 1,800 calories she expects most adults to eat, it appears that her diet close to 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbs which pretty much puts you in Barry Sears' Zone, which--I suppose--is as rational approach as any for a given diet. Fear has definitely looked at this from a scientific perspective, but when various diets are put head to head, more Atkinsy diets seem to come out ahead. The problem, though, for any of these studies is that most of them only look at a 3 month period of study. For those studies that I have seen that last up to a year, the lower carb diets (usually <20%) seem to come out on top. Of course, longer term compliance than this is not measured.

Making sense of the nutritional literature, anyway, can be a bit of a mess as you have to carefully review things like the population studied and the overall compliance. Trying to make the basic science of satiety jibe with the actual process of dieting is also problematic. Fear definitely covers the science, discussing GLP-1, GIP, CCK, Leptin, Ghrelin, and some of the other usual suspects, but does this as a way of enhancing our understanding of weight loss and not as a way to develop strict dietary guidelines or hawk supplements. The science is clearly getting there and can help put things into context, but we are not exactly at an A-therefore-B point where science can strictly dictate the path to weight loss. Fear is fluent in the scientific literature and understands its limitations. I appreciated the fact that she put enough science into the book to keep things interesting and real, but never got bogged down in it.

Fear is a big believer in broad guidelines. She is not against a calorie count here or there to ferret out problems or get a great overview, but in the end she feels that keeping meticulous logs and stats on your eating isn't sustainable for most people, can be a turn off for others, and is often counterproductive as it leads to calorie bargaining (e.g. I can eat that those Ding-Dongs because I just burned 350 calories in my spin class this morning). That said, this book is not for spreadsheet minded people that really need to keep track of everything. This book is in distinct contrast to another excellent diet book, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto, which will appeal to the more statistically oriented crowd. It is amazing to me that two books that cover the same subject can take such opposite approaches and can both be excellent. There's probably a happy medium out there somewhere.

Apart from moving more, Fear doesn't really touch much on exercise as a component to overall health. As anyone who has tried to lose weight knows, diet is the absolute basis for weight loss, but exercise is not just adjunctive--it is necessary for a healthy lifestyle. Looking at the cover of the book, Fear's rock-hard abs and near-zero body fat clearly attest to the fact that she is majorly into exercise. The focus here is diet, but it would have been even better if Fear had at least given some exercise guidelines.

Still, if you are looking for a behavior modification program that will give you a lean lifestyle, this is one of the best books that I have read out there. We are all different and there is no one-size-fits-all diet book. If you are more into dietary methods that promote calorie limitations, nutrient ratios, and strict eating habits, this one is not for you. But if you are looking to change the way you approach food and develop lifelong habits for clean eating, this one's for you. Recommended.

This book is *slightly* like The Complete Beck Diet for Life: The Five-Stage Program for Permanent Weight Loss, which encourages you to change your habits and look at food in the way a lean person does (not being afraid of hunger, being more highly motivated to be of a healthy weight than to snack).

In other words, "Lean Habits" is looking at the underlying behavior patterns that need to be addressed for permanent weight loss. The book correctly notes the tendency of dieters to gain back all their lost weight plus more due to the profound deprivation encountered by food lovers when they try to "diet."

Author Georgie Fear wants you instead to go slow, changing four major habits, one a time. The first one is intriguing -- eating three meals a day, which is kickin' it old school, against the grain of multiple small meals that is so popular today. And no snacks in between. You record your adherence to a new habit for two weeks before going on to the next. For the 3-meals habit, you will be weaning yourself off snacking and all its extra calories, and eating full, satisfying meals for your three meals, much as I remember growing up -- when obesity wasn't much of a thing at all.

The author offers reassurance that this is a working plan that can lead to slow, 1/2- to 1-pound-a-week, lifelong weight loss -- the more important goal really is "fat loss" not weight loss -- and she provides a compelling case for why her approach works, including its success with clients.

How does one kick the diet addiction and make serious real life changes?

A nutritionist (that's her on the cover) sets 16 habits for healthy life eating habits that help the body's chemistry. Fear starts with four core habits that are fundamental to loosing weight, getting in shape, or just being healthy.

The reality is loosing half a pound to a pound a week until the person reaches a healthy weight.

Based on science, this book is what's been missing from the health/diet discussion.

The huge difference between this book and "diet" books is that the person is encouraged to TRACK HABITS not their weight... in other words, following healthy habits will naturally create the weight loss. Fear also suggest that these habits be added/changed over time. Make the first one as close to automatic (not having to think about it) before moving on to the next piece (unlike diets that require total change up front).

Sustainable, healthy habits...

Lean Habits might look like another diet book but is full of sensible and evidence-based methods for creating a calorie deficit without suffering. The habits build on each other over time and provide slow but sustainable results and promote a healthy relationship with food and eating.

I am enjoying my freedom from thinking about food all of the time and carrying snacks everywhere, being able to exercise before breakfast without getting nauseous and dizzy, having more stable energy, tuning into and trusting my body's signals instead of following a plan, and being able to wait easily if a meal is delayed instead of devouring any available edible item. I am losing weight too but it feels like a nice side effect of improving my health and really enjoying my meals rather than the main goal with Georgie Fear's system. I absolutely recommend it to anyone that wants to get off the diet roller coaster, lose any amount of fat, or learn to eat in a way that promotes health and positive experiences with food.

This book is an excellent book for weight loss. It encourages you to purchase and eat non processed foods, eat protein and plenty of vegetables. Also very important to me is to control emotional eating. There are no daily menus in this book. You are encouraged to figure out your own diet but to learn to eat lean. This is an interesting book with tons of information that really makes you want to commit to healthy eating.

Excellent book. This book blows the ideas of regular dieting out of the water. It teaches habits that will automatically result in weight loss. This is truly a great book for the person struggling with a weight issue or just someone who really might just want to get ripped. Definitely a super book for people who have consistently failed to lose weight and keep it off (90%) of us.

Until I came across groups on the web talking about Georgie Fear's approach, I didn't think I would ever find a BS-free, flexible, non-obsessive discussion about how to go about eating to hunger cues. I also didn't think it was possible to have sensible talk about appropriate protein, fat, carbs, etc. without rules and without any 'diet' component whatsoever. Georgie pulls both of those off on her website askgeorgie.com, in her contributions to discussions on the web, and in this book.

You won't come away from this book thinking 'yeah, but how do I get there?' The advice here is all about that crucial 'how' question just as much as the 'what'. Personally, the first two habits have been a pretty mindblowing revelation for me in terms of getting satisfaction out of my food while losing weight. They're not complicated, but I hadn't really had the right understanding of why they were so important or how to make them work sustainably. I still have a lot to work on, but I feel fundamentally secure and set up for life, in a way, having learned about the fundamentals of this approach.

The social media group that is there for those working through the habits is groundbreaking. This is an industry in which a lot of money can be made on lazy advice, so for someone to be pouring their time and effort into real, tailored, detailed answers to people's questions is incredibly impressive.

Georgie's book is for everyone and anyone looking to get lean while maintaining their sanity and improving their relationship with food. Her writing style is warm, honest, funny, and informative. The habits are genius - scientifically backed and totally customizable. Truly the most fun and enjoyable way to get lean without sacrificing enjoyment. Actually I can EASILY say that the habits have added enjoyment to my life. The Lean Habits Facebook group is very active and encouraging as well. I highly recommend this book to those who, like me, come from a background of restrictive dieting and binge eating. The habits have a way of steering us (gently) away from emotional eating too. From cover to cover, this book is full of wisdom that has improved my quality of life so much it makes me want to cry happy tears. Thank you Georgie and Roland for the work that you do!

A huge fan of the work of Georgie Fear, providing weight loss solutions using evidenced based results, in a format that is easy to digest for anybody looking to upgrade their nutrition. The methods shown in this book are easy to implement, make perfect sense and even though they may be small changes, they make a big impact.

This is the best book EVER on habit-based eating, or just healthy eating in general. After a lifetime of diets and bad advice from so-called "experts", Georgie Fear's book is a breath of fresh air. Her approach to eating and nutrition is totally refreshing and makes so much sense. She clearly explains the core habits- the science behind them, what to expect, and common pitfalls. Forget about paleo, Weight Watchers, counting calories, or starving yourself to "lose weight". This book will completely change your outlook on healthy eating and dieting to lose weight. I cannot recommend this book enough!

Excellent book. Practical advice that can be put into practice right away. Complete mindset change about eating and losing weight. Highly recommend this book if you're looking for lifelong results.

Georgie has so many good ideas to help the average person develop a healthy relationship with food and their bodies! She focuses on moderation, health, and a long term perspective --- all vital in mastering lifelong weight loss. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in losing weight or even just maintaining a healthy weight!
(Full disclosure: Once I read about Georgie's book, I got in touch with her and we have developed a collaborative relationship and have coauthored blogs for Psychology Today.)

All the benefits of dieting without dieting. The author clearly knows her stuff. What separates Lean Habits from other books is how the author makes it crystal clear how to apply this to your own life. Most books don't do that. I'm confident that these habits can work for anyone.

Calorie counting is neurotic and obsessive so instead fill up your plate with protein and 2-3 cups veggies per day.. Just another way to fool you to eat less. Not too much different from the low carb diet principles, As the author verifies, ( most of clients end up between 1300-1800 cals by default without trying- I guess that is up for debate about the not trying part, and as for the numbers, those seem very low) where she really lost me was the part where she says diets with potatoes in them are associated with weight gain ( said no study ever!!!! If anything, the complete opposite) and also the whole glycemic index nonsense which also has no real bearing especially if eating carbs with fats and proteins. So really a mute point

I was surprised about how helpful some of this tips were. I wanted to shed a few (15-20) pounds without going on a "diet" and this book helped me look at food in a totally new way. For example: one pearl of wisdom is to not eat until you are physically hungry for 30min to 1hr. It sounds ridiculous but, though I have always been eating the right foods, I have never realized how many times I have eaten when I'm really not that super hungry. There are a whole bunch of other interesting tips in this book. I also like that its relatively short and to the point. I've only had the book for a short while, hopefully it will make a difference.

It a book about learning life maintaining habits that help you reach your weight loss goal. This book is not about short cuts to losing weight. The habits in the book are not complicated. Each habit is backed with scientific research, and experience. It teaches you how to love all kinds of food, have a healthy relationship with it, and feel good about yourself.

I am really enjoying the relaxed, step by step approach to lean habit forming in this book. I've recommended it to several friends and some of the habits have crept into my every day life without much thought. I think if you follow the book and practice it as recommended, with patience, you could achieve the results you're looking for relatively drama free.

This book is revolutionary. If you're tired of counting calories or points or changing your entire life around to lose weight, you need to get familiar with habits-based lifestyle change. This is the permanent, sustainable ingredient you have been searching for.